Unlike random networks, scale-free networks such as the Internet and other computer networks have been shown to form, for example, following a process referred to as preferential attachment. That is, in some embodiments, the more connected a node (e.g., a web domain) in the network, the more likely it is that current and future domains within the network will want to link to it. It should be appreciated that, depending on the particular circumstances, such linking may occur organically or through one or more incentive-based linking techniques.
Referral relationships between web domains are typically not static; instead, they may fluctuate in response to seasonality, trends, and the effects of competitive web traffic redirection efforts, among other exogenous factors. It should be appreciated that these dynamics pose significant challenges for traditional web domain ranking techniques.